Vacuum cleaner



Sept." 21, 1937-.

D. HAYS VACUUM CLEANER Filed Oct. 23, 1954.

Patented Sept. .21. 1931 UNITED srATEs PATENT OFFICE VACUUMJCLEANER David Hays, Fairfleld', Conn assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York a plication October 23, 1934, Serial No. 749,547

' 4 Claims.

My invention relates to vacuum cleaners of the type suitable for cleaning floors and the like.

The object of my invention is to provide a vacuum cleaner having an improved construction and arrangement for ,illuminating the sur-, face being cleaned in front of the suction nozzle.

For a consideration of what I believe to be novel and my invention, attention is directed to the accompanying description and the claims appended thereto. In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a perspective view 'of avacuum cleaner embodying myinvention, Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view of the front of the suction nozzle, and Fig. 3 is a sectional view talgen on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing, 1 have shown my invention in connection with a vacuum cleaner having a casing i provided with a suction nozzle 2 and a discharge conduit 3. An electric motordriven fan contained within the casing produces a suction at the suction nozzle which draws the dirt from the surface being cleaned through the suction nozzle and'discharges it through the discharge conduit into a bag 4. I cleaner is carried on front and rear supporting wheels 5, and a handle 8 is provided for moving I the cleaner. A rubber guard 11 is provided around the front and sides of the suction nozzle. The' construction. described above is to be taken as typicalof a vacuum cleaner to which my invention may be applied.

The arrangement for illuminating the surface being cleaned in front of the suction nozzle is contained within a chamber formed between a wall 8 at the front of the suction nozzle and a wall etc the rear'of=the wall .8. The wall 9 defines the inlet opening of the suction nozzle so that no suctionis produced in the chamber. The upper wall III of the chamber extends between the The lower wall of the chamber is formed by a closure plate H which is removably held against the lower ends of walls 8 and 8 by spring clips l2. The closure plate II is inclined upwardfro'm the lower edge of wall 9 toward wall 8. The lower edge of wall 9 forms thei'ront edge of the inlet opening of suction nozzle 2. The inclined surface of the closure plate I I permits the cleaner to be easily moved over rugs without disturbing the rugs. w

During the operatl onofthe cleaner, there is a considerable flow of air-across the lower surface of the closure Plate ll toward the inletopening of suction nomle so that the surface be- 7 neath the front edge of the closure plate is-sub- The vacuum jected to suction cleaning. Because of this, the chamber at the front of'the suction nozzle does not prevent cleaning surfaces adjacent walls or obstructions on the surface-being cleaned.

The electric lamp l3 for illuminating the sur- 1 face in front of the suction nozzle is carried directly above closure plate H on a reflector ll which is riveted to the closure plate. A- spring clip l5, riveted to the front side of the reflector, supports the lamp socket IS in a position opposite the center of an opening" in the front wall 8. The opening I1 is relatively'long and narrow and extends longitudinally across the front of the suction nozzle. Since the lamp i3 is opposite the center of opening l1, the light from the lamp angle and illuminates a wide band of the surface in front'of the suction nozzle. The reflector l4 assists in directing the light from the lamp. Due to the fact that the lamp is close to the surface being cleaned; the illumination on the surface directly in-front of the vacuum cleaner is of relatively high intensity. At the same time the lamp j is protected by the walls 8, l0, and H. Current is fed to the lamp through conductors l8.

The lamp may be replaced by moving the closure plate ll downward away from walls 8 and 9. This moves the lamp l3 and the reflector it clear of the vacuum cleaner casing and while in this position, the lamp may be readily removed from or inserted into the socket I. With this arrangement, the opening I! need be only of sumcient size to permit proper illumination of the surface in front of the cleaner and. need not be large enough to allow replacement of the electric lamp. Also, since the opening I! may be. small, the lamp i3 is well protected from injury.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States. is:

1. In a vacuum cleaner, a suction nozzle hav as g ing a surface contacting mouth including a front wall with an opening therein, a wall to the rear of'said front wall, a removable closure. plateat the lower 'end of said walls for forming a chamber within the mouth of said nozzle, and means including a lamp carried by said closure plate and shining through said opening for illuminat-v ing the surface being cleaned.

2. In a vacuum cleaner,.a suction nomle ha ing a surface contacting mouth including a front wall, a wall to the rear of said front wall, a removable closure plate at the lower end of said walls and inclined upward toward the front wall for forming a chamber within the mouth of said nozzlaand' means including a lamp carried by 15 shines through the opening I1 at a relatively wide said closure plate and shining through said front wall for illuminating the surface being cleaned.

3. In a vacuum cleaner, a suction nozzle having a surface contacting mouth including a front wall with an opening therein, a wall to the rear of said front wall, a removable closure plate at the lower end of said walls for forming a chamber within the mouth of said nozzle, a reflector fixed to said closure plate, and means including 10 a lamp carried by said reflector and shining 

